Norkin



March 31, 1964 M. NoRKlN 3,126,901

FOLDING UMBRELLA Filed July 21, 1960 K s sheets-sheet 1 f/4 w F/G. /4 Q ZZFla. 2

24 By /20 J ArrwP/Vfy: 1

M. NoRKlN March 31, 1964 FOLDING UMBREILLA 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 21, 1960 INVENTOR. dPR/5 /l//P/f//V March 3 1, 1964 M. NoRKlN FOLDING UMBRELLA Filed July 21, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent O 3,126,961 FOLEJG UMBRELLA Morris Norkin, New York, N .Y., assigner to Marvel Umbrella Frames, luc., Middle Village, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 21, 1960, Ser. No. 44,396 11 Claims. (Cl. 13S- 25) This invention relates to umbrellas, and more particularly to folding umbrellas.

The general object of the invention is to improve folding umbrellas. Such umbrellas commonly employ a metal stick made up of telescopically related tubes. It is desirable to maintain these tubes in several positions different from their fully extended condition, and for this purpose it has been customary to provide detents of various kinds, including spring pressed balls, bendable springs, etc.

One object of the present invention is to provide a detent which is inexpensive, highly effective, and long lasting because it minimizes wear on the telescopic tubes. The latter is desirable because the tubes are commonly made of light weight aluminum, and this is comparatively soft and easily worn.

The telescopic stick is further provided with means to prevent rotation of one tube relative to the other, and to hold them in extended relation, and another object of the invention is to generally improve and simplfy the locking means for this purpose, as well as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

Further features are to improve the rib retainer; to limit the travel of the runner in raised position; to use the runner in lowered position to release the stick lock; and to provide a simple means to prevent the ribs and spreaders remaining in a dead center position which prevents raising of the runner. This avoids the need to employ bent ribs or/and spreaders, and it also avoids any need to spin the umbrella to provide centrifugal force while opening the same.

To accomplish the foregoing objects, and other more specific objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention resides in the umbrella elements and their relation one to another, as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by drawings in which:

FlG. 1 is a section through a folding umbrella em bodying features of my invention, with the umbrella in folded condition;

FlG. 2 is a section drawn to enlarged scale, and taken approximately in the plane of line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section drawn to enlarged scale, and taken approximately in the plane of line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a blank from which a bushing is formed;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken through the mid-portion of the stick when extended;

FIG. 6 is a generally similar view but with the runner in lowered position;

FIG. 7 is a generally similar view but showing the stick shortened slightly to permit the handle to engage and confine the rib tips, when the umbrella is extended but closed; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary exploded view showing the separated parts of the umbrella stick assembly.

Referring to the drawing, the folding umbrella has a lzbl Patented Mar. 31, 1964 ice telescopic stick comprising an outer tube 12, and an inner tube 14 which is slidable in the outer tube. The outer tube is indented to provide one or more fixed detents 16 and 18, and the inner tube carries a yieldable ring 2@ with generous clearance on the inside, so that the ring may be deformed to pass the detents when moved forcibly.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 7, the detents are preferably provided in pairs at diametrically opposite points, in which case the ring 20 is deformed to elliptical shape when passing the detents. The ring is preferably made of a plastics material so that it slides inside the outer tube with a minimum of wear. This is desirable because the tubes are made of aluminum for light weight, even though it is a soft metal which wears easily.

As will be seen in FIG. l, the detents 16 are located near the lower end, and the detents 18 are located near the upper end of the outer tube. The detents l hold the stick in its fully telescoped condition, and in the particular umbrella here shown a rim portion 22 of the handle 24 then confines the elbow extensions 26 of the hinges 23 of the ribs.

When the umbrella stick is fully extended the ring 20 is below the lower detents 16, as shown in FIG. 5. However, the stick may be shortened a little, and then held in that position, when the ring 20 is moved above the detents 16 as shown in FIG. 7. The location of detents 16 is such that at this time the rim 22 of the handle 24 (FIG. 6) receives the tips 30 of the ribs, thus holding the extended umbrella in closed condition. The closed condition is in contrast with the spread condition, and is not to be confused with the folded condition shown in FIG. 1.

Reverting to FIGS. 1 and 5 the upper end of the inner tube 14 has a solid metal plug 32 secured therein. This plug has an annular groove 34 located just above the upper end of the tube 14, and this groove receives the nylon ring Ztl. The top end 36 of the plug is somewhat larger in diameter than the body of the plug, and for assembly purposes the ring therefore is forced over the lower end of the plug and into the annular groove 34 before the plug is secured in the tube 14.

The plug 32 may be secured in the upper end of the tube 14 in different ways, but a preferred way is that here shown in which the body of the plug is provided with a lower groove 40, and the side wall of tube 14 is indented deeply into the groove 4l?, as shown at 42.

The lower end of the outer tube 12 has a fixed stop bushing 3S secured therein, and it will be seen that the detent ring 20 acts also as a stop ring to positively stop the inner tube from being pulled out of the outer tube.

The bushing 38 may be made inexpensively by stamping it from sheet metal. It may have the conguration shown in FIG. 4, there being a center slot 44, and two smaller slots 46. This metal is rolled to cylindrical configuration as shown in FIG. 8, with a gap left at 48. The said gap is diametrically opposite the slot 44, and both act as slots to receive a key for preventing relative rotation of the two parts of the stick, as described later.

The shorter slots 46 are located at the ends of a diameter which is perpendicular to the diameter connecting the slots 44 and 48. These shorter slots receive indentations which lock the bushing in the outer tube. The lower end of the outer tube is shown at 12 in FIG. 8 and the indentations shown at 50 are received in the slot 46 near the ends thereof, thereby locking the bushing tightly against axial movement and rotation. The lower end of the bushing is ilush with the lower end of the outer tube, as shown in FIG. l, so that the slots in the bushing are concealed.

Referring now to FIGS. l and 8, the inner tube has a somewhat V-shaped spring 52, with a longer arm 54 and a shorter arm 56. The longer arm 54 has an end 5S which passes through a slot 60 in the tube 14, and which acts as a key dimensioned to be received in either the slot 44 or the slot (or gap)V 4S of the bushing, thereby preventing rotation of one tube relative to the other when the stick is extended, which is the only time that such rotation would matter. The engagement is automatic, as breeze or handling turns the spread umbrella relative to the handle somewhat.

The shorter arm 56 is shaped to form a lock 62 which springs outward through a slot 64 and beneath the lower end of the outer tube as shown in FIG. 5, thereby holding the stick in extended condition. In the particular construction here shown the end of the shorter arm 56 is bent reversely and around to form a substantially closed loop. In FIG. 5 the stop ring 20 is below the detents 16 and substantially at the upper end of the bushing 38 at the same time that the lock 62 is beneath the outer tube 12, so that the tubes 12 and 14 are held against relative longitudinal motion in either direction.

Reverting to FIG. 1 the umbrella comprises a rib retainer 70 pivotally carrying a plurality of ribs. Each rib has an inner part 72 and an outer part 74 connected at the hinge 28. There is also a runner 76 which is slidable on the umbrella stick, and which pivotally carries spreaders 7-8 which are pivotally connected to ribs 72 at spreader pivots or joints 80.

Referring now to FIG. 6, when the umbrella is extended, and the runner 76 is moved to its down position, it engages and moves the lock 62 inward somewhat, and because of Athe curvature at the top end of the lock, the stick then may be telescoped. Thus, the lock 62 is automatically disengaged when the umbrella is either closed or folded. In the latter case the inner tube then is simply pushed forcibly into the outer tube. When the umbrella is extended and closed, as shown in FIG. 6, the handle may be pushed far enough to engage and hold the extended rib tips, as shown by the change from the solid line to the dotted line position of the handle 24, and at that time the detent ring passes the dentent 16 as shown in FIG. 7.

Referring to FIG. 1 the outer tube 12 is pinch excised at diameterically opposite points, as shown at 82. This forms motion limiting stops which positively arrest the upward movement of the runner when the umbrella is opened. This is desirable in order to prevent excessive movement of the runner which might even open the umbrella to the inside-out position.

The runner is provided with a catch, and in FIGS. 1, 3, and 6 it will be seen that in the present case the catch is pivoted at 84 and has its handle 86 above the pivot 84. The catch tooth is located at 88 below the pivot 84 and is normally urged inward by a spring 90 inside the handle 86. With the umbrella in folded condition as shown in FIG. l the catch tooth 88 is located below the umbrella stick. The outer tube has a hole 92 (FIG. 1) for receiving the tooth 88 when the runner is raised to spread the umbrella. This location corresponds to the location of the runner stops 82, previously referred to, that is, the runner may be pushed forcibly up to the stops at which time the catch automatically engages the hole 92, thereby 'keeping the umbrella in the desired spread condition.

The rib retainer 70 (FIGS. 1 and 8) is preferably a diecast member having a threaded upper end 94 and an annular'groove 96 which receives a pivot wire 98. There are also radial grooves to receive the individual ribs. Referring to FIG. 8, the inside of the retainer at its upper end is provided with a locating key 100. This is received in a mating notch 102 in-the upper end of the outer tube 12. This establishes a particular orientation of the retainer ring relative to the stick and therefore relative to other elements as, for example, the hole 92 (FIG. l) which receives the runner catch. The latter may be aligned with the key, and thus proper mating of the catch and hole is insured.

The retainer is secured to the tube 12 by indenting the same at diametrically opposite points. This is shown at 104 in FIGS. 1 and 8, and these locking indentations also provide the detents 18 previously referred to which cooperate with the nylon ring 20. The threaded part 94 of the rib retainer receives a suitable cap 106 (FIG. l) which ornamentally finishes the end of the umbrella.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a ring 110 made of rubber or equivalent soft, elastic material is fitted around the outer tube 12 near its upper end. The tube maybe pinch-excised at diametrically opposite points shown at 112 to hold the rubber ring against sliding down, although ithas sufficient friction to normally remain in position even without the excisions 112. The outer diameter of the rubber ring is such as to tend to expand or spread the ribs 72 outward, thereby avoiding a dead center condition which might prevent the runner from being pushed up to spread the umbrella. This is shown in FIG. 2 by the fact that the ribs 72 are imbedded in the rubber ring 110.

In FIGS. l and 2. it will be seen that the ribs 72, 74 are made of at wire which is disposed atwise, except at the inner end where the wire is twisted 90 or edgewise to receive the pivot wire 98. The spreaders 78 are also made of at wire, but this is disposed edgewise. The lower inner ends of the spreaders are held by a pivot wire 38, received in a groove in the diecast runner 76. The upper ends of the spreaders are pivoted by means of tiny rivets or eyelets each received through the ears of the folded sheet metal joint or fitting which is secured about the rib 72.

The rib tips 30 may be made of metal or plastics material, and the ends of the ribs 74 are stepped or reduced in dimension to fit inside the tips. As usual, these tips have holes 116 for thread which holds the umbrella fabric on the ribs. At the center of the umbrella the fabric is anchored beneath the cap 106, previously referred to.

Referring to FIG. 8, the plug 32 has the nylon or equivalent detent ring 20 received in a groove located just below its top 36. Another groove 40 receives the indentations 42 which anchor the plug in the tube 14. The V- shaped spring 52 is placed in the tube 14 before the plug 32 is secured in position, and the ends of the spring pass outward through openings, one of which is shown at 60. These openings locate the spring against axial movement. 'I'he rib retainer wire 98 is received in the annular groove 96'of the rib retainer 70. The rubber ring 110 is located a little below the rib retainer, and the outer tube 12 is pinch-excised at 112 to prevent downward movement of the rubber ring. Similar pinch-excisions are made somewhat further down on tube 12 (not shown in FIG. 8), to limit upward movement of the runner. These are at 82 in FIG. y1.

Reverting to FIG. 1, the handle 24 is screwed on to the threaded shank 120 of a solid rod or plug, the upper end of which is locked in the lower end of the inner tube 12. Reverting now to FIG. 8, the said rod 120 has an annular groove 122 and it is longitudinally ridged or fluted at 124 above and below the groove 122. This rod is driven with a force-fit inside the lower end of rod 14, and the latter is then indented at 126 with indentations which enter the annular groove 122. These indentations prevent axial movement, and the ridges 124 bite into the aluminum tube and effectively prevent rotation.

It is believed that the construction, the method of assembly, and the operation of my improved folding umbrella, as well as the advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A folding umbrella having a telescopic umbrella stick, said stick comprising an outer tube and an inner tube which is slidable in the outer tube, the outer tube being indented to provide one or more lixed detents, and the inner tube carrying a yieldable ring made of a material which is so thick in axial direction that it does not bend in axial direction, said ring having ample clearance inside so that the ring may he deformed in radial direction to pass the detents when moved forcibly in axial direction, said ring being a closed ring made of a plastics material.

2. A folding umbrella having a telescopic umbrella stick, said stick comprising an outer tube and an inner tube which is slidable in the outer tube, said tubes being made of aluminum, the outer tube being indented to provide fixed detents at diametrically opposite points, and the inner tube carrying a yieldable ring made of a material which is so thick in axial direction that it does not bend in axial direction, said ring having ample clearance inside so that the ring may be deformed in radial direction to elliptical shape to pass the detents when moved forcibly in axial direction, said ring being a closed ring made of a plastics material.

3. A folding umbrella having a telescopic umbrella stick, said stick comprising an outer tube and an inner tube which is slidable in the outer tube, the outer tube being indented near its upper end and near its lower end to provide fixed detents, and the inner tube carrying near one end a yieldable ring made of a material which is so thick in axial direction that it does not bend in axial direction, said ring having ample clearance inside so that the ring may be deformed in radial direction to pass the detents when moved forcibly in axial direction, said ring being a closed ring made of a plastics material.

4. A folding umbrella having a telescopic umbrella stick, said stick comprising an upper outer tube and a lower inner tube which is slidable into the outer tube when the stick is telescoped and which may be pulled nearly out of the outer tube when the stick is extended, the lower end of the outer tube having a fixed stop means and the upper end of the inner tube having a stop ring to positively prevent the inner tube from being pulled out of the outer tube, and additional means to hold the stick in less than fully extended length, the outer tube being indented near its lower end and near its upper end to provide fixed detents, the aforesaid stop ring of the inner tube being a yieldable ring with clearance inside so that the ring may be deformed to pass the detents when moved forcibly, said inner lower tube having a solid metal plug secured in its upper end, said plug having an annular groove above the tube receiving the yieldable ring, and said ring acting also as the aforesaid motion-limiting stop ring in cooperation with the aforesaid xed stop means.

5. A folding umbrella having a telescopic umbrella stick, said stick comprising an upper outer tube and a lower inner tube which is slidable into the outer tube when the stick is telescoped and which may be pulled nearly out of the outer tube when the stick is extended, the lower end of the outer tube having a fixed stop bushing and the upper end of the inner tube having a stop ring to positively prevent the inner tube from being pulled out of the outer tube, and additional means to hold the stick in less than fully extended length, the outer tube being indented near its lower end and near its upper end to provide fixed detents at diametrically opposite points, the aforesaid stop ring of the inner tube being a nylon or equivalent yieldable ring with clearance inside so that the ring may be deformed to elliptical shape to pass the detents when moved forcibly, said inner lower tube having a solid metal plug secured in its upper end by means of locking indentations struck into an annular groove in the plug, said plug having another annular groove above the tube receiving the nylon ring, and said ring acting also as the aforesaid motion-limiitng stop ring in cooperation with the aforesaid stop bushing.

6. A folding umbrella having a telescopic umbrella stick, said stick comprising an upper outer tube and a lower inner tube, the lower end of the outer tube having a lixed bushing secured therein, and the upper end of the inner tube having a stop ring which limits extension of the stick when the ring reaches the bushing, said bushing having slots, the outer tube being indented with locking indentations received in some of the aforesaid slots, the inner tube having a V-shaped spring therein with a longer and a shorter arm, the longer arm having an end passing through a slot and acting as a key dimensioned to be received in one of the slots of the bushing to prevent rotation of one tube relative to the other when the stick is extended, and the shorter arm being shaped to form a lock which springs outward through a slot and beneath the lower end of the outer tube to hold the stick in extended relation.

7. A folding umbrella having a telescopic umbrella stick, said stick comprising an upper outer tube and a lower inner tube, the lower end of the outer tube having a bushing secured therein, and the upper end of the inner tube having a stop ring which limits extension of the stick when the ring reaches the bushing, said bushing having a gap at one side and a slot diametrically opposite the gap, said bushing further having two locking slots at the ends of a diameter transverse to the diameter connecting the gap and slot, the outer tube being indented with locking indentations received in the aforesaid locking slots of the bushing, the inner tube having a V-shaped spring therein with a longer and a shorter arm, the longer arm having an end passing through a slot and acting as a key dimensioned to be received in either the gap or slot to prevent rotation of one tube relative to the other when the stick is extended, the shorter arm being reversely bent to form a lock which springs outward through a slot and beneath the lower end of the outer tube to hold the stick in extended relation,

8. A folding umbrella as defined in claim 4 in which said bushing has slots, the inner tube having a V-shaped spring therein with a longer and a shorter arm, the longer arm having an end passing through a slot and acting as a key dimensioned to be received in one of the slots to prevent rotation of one tube relative to the other when the stick is extended, the shorter arm being shaped to form a lock which springs outward through a slot and beneath the lower end of the outer tube to hold the stick in extended relation, the yieldable ring then being below the detents.

9. A folding umbrella as defined in claim 4 in which said bushing has slots, the outer tube being indented with locking indentations received in some of the aforesaid slots of the bushing, the inner tube having a V-shaped spring therein with a longer and a shorter arm, the longer arm having an end passing through a slot and acting as a key dimensioned to be received in one of the slots to prevent rotation of one tube relative to the other when the stick is extended, the shorter arm being shaped to form a lock which springs outward through a slot and beneath the lower end of the outer tube to hold the stick in extended relation, the yieldable ring then being below the detents.

10. An umbrella as defined in claim 6 in which there are folding ribs pivotally connected to the upper ends of spreaders, the lower ends of said spreaders being pivoted to a runner, and in which the runner, when in down position, comes somewhat below the lower end of the outer tube, at which time the runner moves the lock and shorter arm of the V-shaped spring inward so that the umbrella stick may be telescoped.

11. A folding umbrella having a telescopic umbrella stick, said stick comprising an -outer tube and an inner tube which is slidablejin the Vouter tube, the outer tube being indented near its upper 4end to provide fixed detents, the inner tube carrying near its upper end. a yieldable ring made of a material which is so thick in axial direction that it does not bend in axialdirection, said ring having ample clearance inside so that the ring may be deformed in radial direction to pass the detents When moved forcibly in axial direction, said ring being a closed ring made of a plastics material, the upper end of the outer tube carrying a rib retainer, said retainer and the outer tube being matingly indented to ixedly lock the retainer on the outer tube, the said indentation of theouter tube acting also as the aforesaid fixed detents which cooperate with the aforesaid yieldable ring.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l:1urner V June 5, 1866 Morrison Feb. 21, 1899 Charlesworth July 20, 1909 Aragall NOV. 26, 1912 Habinski Nov. 14, 1916 Morse Apr. 18, 1939 Marx Sept. 19, 1939 Okun Nov. 12, 1940 Capaldo May 27, 1941 Wuster Dec. 16, 1952 Norkin Mar. 22, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany `June 25, 1925 Great Britain I une 23, 1954 

1. A FOLDING UMBRELLA HAVING A TELESCOPIC UMBRELLA STICK, SAID STICK COMPRISING AN OUTER TUBE AND AN INNER TUBE WHICH IS SLIDABLE IN THE OUTER TUBE, THE OUTER TUBE BEING INDENTED TO PROVIDE ONE OR MORE FIXED DETENTS, AND THE INNER TUBE CARRYING A YIELDABLE RING MADE OF A MATERIAL WHICH IS SO THICK IN AXIAL DIRECTION THAT IT DOES NOT 